Christian theology states that God created the earth and gave it as a gift to humans to share with all other living creatures. This belief is known as the “creation-centered approach to the natural environment” (Massaro, p.163). This approach emphasizes the value of nature by recognizing humans as an equal part of God's creation whereby all “species deserve protection” (Massaro, p.163). With publicly known pollution cases such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or Bethlehem Steel's pollution of Lake Erie decades ago, it is evident that humans have used the environment in accordance with the Stewardship model or even with the Dominion model, both of which place humans above all other creations. According to Massaro, Christian theology also explains that showing "no regard for the air that others breathe and the quality of the water they drink is to sin against God" (Massaro, p. 162). This type of contempt destroys humanity's relationship with all other living organisms. This previously stated “relationship” is the basis of the second key theme of Catholic Social Doctrine. “Catholic social encyclicals teach that being human means experiencing not only rights but also obligations towards others” (Massaro, p.84). A strong advocate of solidarity, Pope John Paul II stated: “To be human means to be a social being, whose very life is and should be linked to those who are near and also to distant strangers (Massaro, p.84). Solidarity exists when individuals contribute to the common good, which is simply a goal in life that is considered above the private benefits of those individuals. Catholic social teaching states that when individuals today make sacrifices for the common good of a… middle of paper… as far into the future as possible until it becomes a burden to the current generation and that any perceived benefits gained from those future generations cannot be measured. With this in mind, burying nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain is simply too risky given the natural conditions, which is why the method of above-ground storage and transmission to future generations is the most suitable for the overall benefit of humanity and the environment. This can only be true if each generation commits to not only contribute to the safe containment of radioactive waste, but also encourages the next generation to do the same. Actions taken today with good intentions for the future can still produce negative results in that future. But, with this method, it is possible to make small incremental improvements over time and not burden one generation with the well-being of all subsequent generations..